Bat (WTA)
Bat is a fallen totem of Strength and a former Totem of Wisdom. Currently, it resides in the Black Spiral Labyrinth and harasses passengers that try to complete the circles. Overview Originally, Bat was a servant of the Wyrm of Balance, but when his master fell to corruption, he chose to ally with Gaia instead. He was also the patron of the Camazotz Shifters and was greatly involved in the well-being of his children (only Coyote and Queen Ananasa have similar strong ties to their respective Fera children). The massacres of the European Camazotz split Bat's psyche in two parts, one that was loyal to Gaia and one that served the interests of the Wyrm. The two sides of Bat battled each other for supremacy for centuries, leading the Camazotz to become withdrawn and secretive. The death of his South American children heralded Bat's fall. The death scream of the last Camazotz drove him mad with grief and hatred. He went into the Black Spiral Labyrinth, where he resides up to this day. In doing so, he doomed any remaining Camazotz populations, as the breed relied upon a ritual to propagate. Recently, however, the last descendant of Dark Claw of Vengeance, the Garou who killed the last South American Camazotz, has made a pilgrimage into the Shattered Labyrinth to make amends for the death of the bat-shifters. Doing so has redeemed a small part of Bat, and the Totem currently struggles again with itself. Some Shadow Lords have come under the protection of the uncorrupted part of Bat, but are viewed with suspicion and distrust by other tribe members. As a Totem For Black Spiral Dancers, the ones who most often have Bat as a pack Totem, Bat demands that they cultivate a small colony of bats and feed alongside them. In return, it awards them with additional points in Survival, Intimidation, and Stealth. Gaian Werewolves are forbidden any kind of combat with other Fera (even ritualistic ones) and gain bonuses in enigma and perception. Redeemed Bat Overview Bat is an unusual totem, and a rare choice – as far as most Garou know, he has fallen entirely into the thrall of the Wyrm. Until recently, this was a very accurate summation; the fall of the Camazotz centuries ago destroyed Bat’s sanity, and in his hatred, he turned against the Garou who drove his children to extinction. Recent events in Mexico, however, have redeemed Bat, or at least a portion of him. Like the deity revered by the Mayan cultures so long ago, Bat appears to have a dual aspect – in some respects he is still of the Wyrm, but in others, he has come back to Gaia. Most Garou don’t know what to make of this, and look on Bat’s followers with great suspicion. None of them seem to be corrupt, but that doesn’t make them innocent. For their part, Bat’s children have deep ties to the earth unmatched by those of other Garou. They listen to the voices of the Camazotz, and are making a sincere effort to continue that lost Breed’s work. The Voice of Gaia sings through them, and they listen to Her voice so that they can find Her enemies and destroy them. * Background Cost: '''5 Traits & Ban Traits * '''Individual Traits: '''Each pack member’s Perception increases by one permanently, even if this would raise the rating above 5. Pack members also gain two points of temporary Wisdom Renown and may use the Gift: Ears of the Bat once per day for the duration of a scene. * '''Pack Traits: '''Bat’s packs gain three dots of Enigmas. Garou with this totem are well regarded by many Fera, particularly those in Central and South America. However, Garou look upon Bat and his children with suspicion, meaning that all pack members lose five points of temporary Honor (if they have that many) when Bat adopts them and subtract one from any temporary Honor Renown awards they receive. The pack members must work harder to prove they are honorable. Ban Bat demands that his children never fight with Gaia’s other children – including other Gaian Garou. Even ritualized or honorable combat is forbidden. His followers simply need to find other ways to resolve disputes. This has greater implications than may be immediately obvious:''' children of Bat cannot challenge other Garou if there is any chance that the Garou being challenged will choose a form of combat to resolve the dispute. If the challenged Garou chooses combat to resolve the challenge, the child of Bat who issued the challenge must back down. Depending on the circumstances (and the Storyteller’s discretion), backing down from issuing the challenge may entail a loss of Renown for the child of Bat. Gallery Bat rage card.jpg|Rage Card depicting the wyrmish aspect of Bat References * , p. 103, 104 * , p. 78 Category:Totems (WOD)